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Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health & Environment to Conduct Soil Safety Survey of Urban Gardens in Busan in 2026

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Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health & Environment (hereinafter referred to as the Institute) announced that it will conduct a soil safety survey of small-scale urban gardens across the Busan area from April to September.

The Institute conducts annual soil safety surveys of small-scale urban gardens in Busan to ensure that citizens can safely engage in cultivation activities.

Through the survey, it verifies whether soil conditions meet the standards suitable for crop cultivation under the Soil Environment Conservation Act (applying Soil Contamination Concern Standards for Area 1).

Survey items include eight heavy metals, and the survey will target 68 sites, including newly established gardens and those closely related to citizens’ daily lives, such as kindergartens and daycare centers. Based on last year’s results, the survey will also continue to include four sites that exceeded standards.

The eight heavy metals surveyed are zinc, nickel, arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, hexavalent chromium, and mercury.

By type, the urban garden sites consist of kindergartens and daycare centers (47%), welfare facilities (24%), and schools (6%).

According to last year’s survey results, four sites exceeded the Soil Contamination Concern Standards for Area 1, and the exceeding item was identified as zinc.

If survey results exceed the standards, the Institute will promptly notify the relevant district offices, provide guidance on soil replacement and prohibit the consumption of crops grown in the affected soil, and conduct re-inspections after improvements.

As small-scale urban gardens are primarily established and cultivated in welfare facilities such as kindergartens, daycare centers, and senior centers, the Institute plans to quickly notify results to prevent the consumption of crops grown in soil that exceeds contamination standards.

For sites exceeding standards, the Institute will induce improvements such as soil replacement and conduct re-inspections to create an environment where citizens can safely engage in cultivation activities.

Lee Yong-ju, Director of the Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health & Environment, stated, “With growing public interest in eco-friendly agricultural products and increased leisure activities, more citizens are participating in urban gardening,” adding, “We will contribute to fostering an environment for producing safe, eco-friendly agricultural products by ensuring the safety of soil used in these gardens.”